Car-coupling



(-No Model.

J. E. BARRETT.

(TAR COUPLING.

Patented Feb. 28,1882

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UNrra TATES JEFFERSON E. BARRETT, OF MOUNT VERNON, IOiVA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 254,260, dated February 28, 1882.

Application filed September 30, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEFFERSON E. BAR- RETT, of Mount Vernon, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Goupling, of which the following is a specification.

The invention consists in a draw-head having a U-shaped groove in its upper surface,

combined with a flat bar sliding in a vertical longitudinal slot in the draw-head, and provided with two lugs, which vertically-sliding locked in position by a pivoted latch outhe top of the car. When the vertically-sliding bar is in the lowered position it holds the link in the groove in the draw-head, and raises this link out of the groove in the draw-head when it (the vertically-sliding bar) is raised by means of the levers or the handle at its upper end.

The invention further consists in the construction and arrangement of parts and details, as will be more fully described hereinafter. 1

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specificatioil', in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of the end of a box-car provided with my improved carcoupling. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the ends of two cars provided with my improved car-coupling. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal elevation of the slotted plate with the locking-bar for lockin g the coupling-lever.

The draw-head A is provided with a U- shaped groove, A, in its upper surface, this groove being of the same size and formation as one-half of an ordinary car-coupling link, B, and the ends of this groove being at the front or outer end-of this draw-head. The part- A of the draw-head between the shanks of the U-shaped groove is beveled upward and toward the inner end of the draw-head. At the rounded end of the groove A the drawhead is provided with a longitudinal vertical slot, 0, which extends across the rounded part (No model.)

of the groove A. A flat bar, D, adapted to slide in the slot 0, is provided with two lugs, D D, projecting toward the front of the drawhead A and forming a notch or recess, D This bar D is further provided with two horizontal and laterally-projecting flanges or lugs, D which are adapted to rest on the drawhead A when the bar D is in its lowest position. This bar D reaches up to the top of the car H, and has a handle, E, at its upper end, and is guided by a slotted plate, E projecting from the end of the car H, at the top of the same.

' The bar D is provided on its rear or inner edge with a crook or bent arm, E through which crook and the bar D a pintle passes, which pivots the bar D to levers F F, extending in oppositedirections from the bar D; but I may pivot these levers to the bars D in any other suitable manner.

Each lever F is pivoted to a short bar, G, pivoted to a bracket, J, attached to the end of the car H, the free ends of each lever F passing through the vertical slot K near the outer edge of a flanged guide-plate, L, fastened. to the end of the car 'near the side of the same L projects from the endof the car parallel with the side of the car, as shown in Fig. 1.

To each plate L a flat bar, M, is pivoted above-the top of the slot K, which flat bar M is provided with a series of legs orteeth, N N N, projecting from the edge toward the front or'outer end of the dra\v-head, of which by the flange in such a manner that this plate i teeth N 2 and N 3 each have a notch or recess in the lower edge, the uppermost tooth, N, having a notch or recess both in the upper and lower edges. A handle lug, 0, projects from the fiat side of each bar M near its lower end, and the lower end, M, of each bar M is'bent outward rectangularly.

A latch, P, having its ends beveled in opposite directions, aud having catch and handle lugs P P at opposite ends and opposite edges, is pivoted to the plate L in such a manner that this latch can hold the flat bar M in a raised position. A flat metal strip, Q, is secured at one end to the plate L, and serves as a guide for thelower or outer end of the flat bar M. The flat bar D is provided at its upper end with a series of apertures, R R, adapted to receive a pin, S, near the end of alatch-lever, T, pivoted on the plate E and provided with a vertical handle-lug, V.

The operation is as follows: The bar D ofone car is 'so adjusted that theupper edge of its lower lug, D, will be below the upper surface of the draw-head A, as shown in dotted lines in the left-hand side of Fig. 2, and is locked in this position by passing the end of the corresponding lever, F, under the middle tooth, N of the bar M. Then the link B is dropped into the groove A and the lever F is released. The bar Ddrops by its own weight and holds the link in a horizontal position and projecting from the draw head. The bar D need notbelockcd in this position, asits weight is sufficient to keep it in this position. Then the opposite draw-head is also adjusted in the manner shown in dotted lines in the left-hand side of Fig. 2. If the cars come together, the free end of the link 13 slides up the incline A and drops onto the groove A. Then the corresponding bar, D, is released and holds thelink in the groove and prevents it from being thrown out by sudden shocks orj umps of the car. (See the right-hand side of Fig. 2.)

To uncouple the carsall that is necessary is to raise the bar D, as shown in fulllines on the left-hand side of Fig. 2, whereby the link B will be raised out of the groove A, thus permittingit to be withdrawn from the draw-head. The bar D may be operated by means of the levers F, or by means of the handle E at its upper end, and likewise the barD can be locked in its various positions by means of pivoted latch T, or by means of the pivoted bars which look the levers F. If the bar D is to remain unlocked, the bar M is swung in the inverse direction of the arrow at, and is locked in position by means of the latch P, as shown in Fig. 3, the lower bent end, M, of the bar M resting against the lug P of the latch P. If this bar M is to be released, it is raised or swung in the inverse direction of the arrow a a short distance, upon which the latch is turned in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The lower end, M, of the bar M can now clear the lug P of'the latch P and drop back into the vertical position.

By means of the above-described car-coupling device cars can be coupled and uncoupled without requiring the operator to pass in between the cars.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The bar D, having two lugs, D D, recess D and flanges D in combination with a drawhead having the vertical slot 0, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The bar D, havinga bent arm,E connected by a pintle with the oppositely-extending levers F F, as shown and described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head A, provided with a U-shaped groove, A, of the bar D, the levers F, the connecting-bars G, and the brackets J, projecting from the car H, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4.. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head A, of the bar D, the levers F, the plates L, each provided with a vertical slot, K, and of the pivoted bars M, provided with teeth N N N, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the plate L, provided with a slot, K, ofthe p ivoted bar M, provided with teeth N N, &c., the guide-plate Q, and the latch P, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the plate L, provided with a slot, K, of the pivoted bar M, provided with a series of teeth, N N 850., and having its lower end, M, bent rectan gularly, and ot' thepivoted latch P, provided with the lugs P P at the opposite ends, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head A, of the bar D, provided with a series of apertures, R, the slotted guide-plate E the latch T, and the handle S, and the levers F, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

JEFFERSON ELLIS BARRETT.

Witnesses DAVID W. FORD, W WHERRY. 

